Ranma 12: The Kindness of Strangers
by Yamato Sora
Summary: The Tendo family expects visitors, but the redhead who happens to drop in on them isn't quite who they were expecting. Akane takes a liking to her, not knowing she is actually Ranma. Not only is she Ranma, but someone else as well, someone with a past.
1. Chapter 1

Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

"What a strange girl she is." Akane thought, studying the girl as she lay asleep on the floor, or fainted rather. She found herself marveling at the girl's garments, seemingly of Chinese origin. But her choice of clothes was not the most striking thing about her. Her hair, on the other hand, was. Never before, and likely never again, had she seen a girl with hair such a brilliant shade of red, hair worn in a single pigtail.

However, more peculiar than her hair or her clothes was the manner by which the two of them had met. Under those circumstances, Akane could not help feeling pity for her, in spite of the fact that she usually wasn't very sympathetic to strangers. Her sister Kasumi, on the other hand, was ever sympathetic to the needs of others. In fact, her sister's selfless compassion for others was so strong that Akane often thought of her more as a mother than as a sister, and ever since that tragic day, Kasumi surely seemed taken with the role, undertaking her new responsibilities with that very same selflessness.

Suddenly, the thought occurred to her that maybe the only reason she felt sympathy for this poor girl was because, secretly, she wanted to be more like her sister. And why else would she want to be more like Kasumi, other than for the hope that somehow it might make him like her more? Akane would've been selfish, were that the case, but it most certainly was not.

No, Akane's compassion towards this girl was not an act, nor was it simply a ploy for the attentions of a certain acupuncturist slash martial artist. No, her feelings for this girl, this stranger, were as genuine as her feelings for said martial artist, feelings which she feared would never be returned.

Akane was watching the redhead intently, along with her sisters Kasumi and Nabiki, when suddenly the girl stirred. They watched with sudden anticipation as the girl's eyelids twitched ever so slightly, then as she frowned at something mysterious. Then finally, those eyes slid slowly open, and she was looking at them. Not long after that, with no questions asked, she was sitting up in bed. However, this exertion proved quite painful. Even the simple act of raising her head was a battle, as the slightest motion triggered excruciating pain.

"Take it easy," Kasumi warned, as she sat up. The girl, apparently adverse to her better judgment, winced in pain. Then, to their dismay, the sisters watched as she pulled the blanket close to her, hugged her knees, and cried.

At that moment, Akane realized just how out of practice she was with this whole sympathy thing. Still, she tried her best. Her hand placed gently, reassuringly on the girl's shoulder, Akane said, "Hey, you want to be friends?"

The girl stopped crying, sniffed, and looked up at her. "Friends?" she asked shyly, as though she'd never had a friend before, as though the very concept was foreign to her.

"Yeah, with me," Akane replied, smiling good naturedly. She wouldn't have thought her smile so infectious, but soon the redhead was smiling back at her, seeming to forget, at least for the moment, the throbbing pain in her head. Then, Akane realized the reward of offering comfort to someone else. Quite simply, knowing she had given comfort to this stranger, made her feel better as well, no matter how small the comfort.

"Yes, thank you." She replied weakly.

Again, Akane smiled. Her good mood was not to last, though. All of a sudden, her sister Nabiki, older than Akane by one year, leaned in close to her, and said slyly, "Hey Akane. At least she's not a boy."

At that moment, Akane knew Nabiki was making fun of her. Actually, she was poking fun at what she perceived as her little sister's irrational and often violent hatred of boys. However, Akane refused to give in to Nabiki's bait. She wasn't about to embarrass herself in front of this girl.

"Nabiki, don't start." Kasumi scolded her sister gently, and that was the end of it, for now.

Then, Akane realized that maybe the reason she was being so sympathetic to this girl was simply because she was a girl, a girl and not a boy. She doubted she would feel the same compassion for a strange boy. In fact, she knew there would be no compassion at all.

"Perverts!" she thought angrily. One of them was, surely. A certain upperclassman whose name she loathed to speak, relentless in his pursuit of her, with a notorious penchant for spouting bad poetry. Despite her fuming, Akane knew deep down that not all men were womanizers like Kuno Tatewaki. Her Tofu certainly wasn't. However, being harassed daily by Kuno and almost every boy in school had succeeded in making her immediately suspicious of them as a whole. Never mind the fact that she still beat them every day.

And this Ranma she had heard so much about, the only son of her father's best friend, a young, probably pig-headed, martial artist who had returned with his father from a dangerous training mission in China. Ranma, the fiancé, the only "prize" offered in an arranged marriage set up by their fathers.

"I bet he's a pervert like the rest of them." Akane thought coldly. Suddenly, she was glad to have met this girl, no matter the circumstances, glad in spite of the fact that she didn't even know her name, glad because she was a girl, but mostly glad because she wasn't a boy. She wasn't Ranma.

Then suddenly, there came a knock at the girls' bedroom door. Their father looked in to check on them, or rather, to check on her. Though Tendo Soun was quickly approaching middle age, he looked not a year over forty. His long black hair, having not yet begun to turn gray, lent him a wild look, as did the intensity of his eyes. However, his mustache was well groomed, which dispelled any notion that he did not take pride in his appearance. His figure was what one might expect of a dojo sensei, lean, yet sturdy, tanned by long hours training in the hot sun.

"She's awake, Father," said Kasumi cheerfully, gladder than anyone to see her conscious and alert. She had feared, seeing that nasty bump on the back of her head, the girl might never wake up again.

"I can see that." He replied. "That's a real nasty bump on your head, miss. How do you feel?"

"Like I want to throw up. Oh, sorry," The girl apologized almost automatically, realizing her honesty might be thought rude, and not wanting to be thought rude.

"That's perfectly alright," Soun laughed. "Now, could you tell us your name?"

That was the first indication they had that something was in fact very wrong with her, because when Soun asked the girl her name, she couldn't answer, nor could she answer any of their questions about who she was, or where she came from. It was as if she simply didn't know.

At that moment, they realized the girl was as much a mystery to herself as she was to them. And they quickly suspected the wound on her head to be the cause of her amnesia.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl sat silently, staring out at the pond. She saw and yet did not see the fish splashing in the water, many large koi with scales of white and red. Her mind was elsewhere; or rather what remained of it was elsewhere. In truth, to say her mind was elsewhere is rather ironic, since there was really nothing left for her to think about. To her knowledge, she had no past, no parents, and no belongings other than the clothes on her back, nothing to enforce her sense of identity, except…

The redhead stood gingerly, still mindful of the pain in her head, walked to the water's edge, and knelt down to take a look at herself. She studied her reflection intently against the shapes of koi swimming beneath the glassy surface. The face of a young woman stared back at her. She had a full head of red hair, long bangs nearly in her eyes, which were blue, a cute button nose, and finally, lips sticking out in a pout. And all of it positioned upon a round, rather chubby face.

"This is me," she thought, "This is what I look like, a girl." Then, the girl reached back and unbraided her hair, letting it down. She took another long look at herself in the pool before heading back inside, satisfied. Or rather, she was about to head in when Akane opened the door.

The girl had been sitting out there, staring at the pond, all alone, for a long time, and every so often Akane would look out at her, to see if she was still sitting there, and she was. Akane wanted to help her, talk to her, but what could she possibly say to a girl who had just lost her mind? "Nothing, that's what." she thought. Then, Akane realized that it hurt her to see her friend this way, so forlorn. It hurt her to know that there was nothing she could do to help her, other than what she had already done.

But, Akane seemed to overlook the significance of what she had done, dwelling instead on what she couldn't do. What she wanted to do. She wanted to somehow restore her friend's memory, make her whole again, as if by some miracle. But she knew that to do such a thing was beyond her. However, what Akane failed to realize was that, by offering the girl her hand in friendship, she was responsible for something quite profound, as that promise of friendship was now the only thing real to the girl, the only thing she knew.

Akane was surprised, shocked even, to see the redhead with her hair down. Somehow, the simple act of styling her hair a different way made her seem like a totally different person. So different, in fact, that Akane might not have even recognized her had she not been wearing those same clothes.

"You look… different." Akane said finally, still stunned at how beautiful she truly was, in spite of the shabby clothes.

"I think I look better this way." The girl replied, unassumingly.

"Yeah, sure," Akane said. "Now, come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"To the dining room," Akane replied.

Akane entered the dining room, sat on the floor next to the table. The redhead sat next to her. Sitting across from them already were Kasumi and Nabiki. Of course, soon as she entered the room, everyone stared at her hair, everyone except Akane.

"You… you changed your hair." Nabiki blurted out suddenly, stating the obvious.

"Do you like it?" the girl asked, almost shyly.

Nabiki said nothing, but Kasumi was quick to offer praise. "It's very pretty." She said. And Akane watched as the redhead blushed profusely at the compliment.

"Thank you." She said.

At last, Soun cleared his throat. His eyes fell directly on the girl as he spoke. "I've been thinking," He said, "and I've decided that it would be best if you stayed with us for a while, at least until you get back on your feet. After that display earlier, I simply cannot, in good conscience, let you leave without knowing you have a place to go to."

"Thank you very much, sir," She replied, astonished by his hospitality. She bowed.

"Your room has already been prepared. Kasumi will show you to it now."

"It's this way," Kasumi said, getting up and heading for the stairs. She led the girl to a room that was relatively plain, yet comfortably furnished. But, the appearance of the room didn't matter to her so much, as long as it had a comfortable bed. Then, as the girl was getting herself settled in, at the moment, testing the firmness of the mattress, Kasumi asked, "Would you like to take a bath, now?"

"Um, no thanks," The girl replied, respectfully.

Kasumi frowned, said, "But there's blood on your shirt."

Suddenly, the girl let out a small squeak. Kasumi assumed her reaction was triggered by the mere mention of the word blood. She watched as her guest wavered slightly, her face turning sickly pale. Kasumi had just enough time to catch her before she fell on the floor, falling instead into Kasumi's arms.

"Poor thing," she thought, as she put the girl to bed. There would be time for her to take a bath later. However, Kasumi retrieved the girl's shirt, not wanting her blood to stain the bed. She coaxed her into a sitting position, lifting the garment up over her head. Then she tucked her in, taking the bloodstained shirt with her. And who should she find huddling outside but Akane and Nabiki.

"What are you two doing out here?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Nabiki replied. "I just wanted to welcome our newest housemate." Kasumi saw Akane give an involuntary roll of the eyes, hearing her sister say that. She knew as well as anyone that there was always an ulterior motive to anything Nabiki did, and knowing that, Kasumi could not help feeling disappointed in her. Then her eyes turned to Akane, and she saw her little sister blush suddenly, as if embarrassed by something.

In fact, Akane was embarrassed, having remembered she forgot to tell the girl her name, even after she offered to be her friend. And she blushed because she was too embarrassed, too ashamed, to admit such a thing to Kasumi.

Finally, Akane asked, "How's she doing?"

"Other than for the memory loss, she seems to be just fine."

Kasumi thought Akane might want to go in and see her. "I'd let her rest for now, Akane." She said gently. And she left them, heading back downstairs to wash the girl's shirt.

Akane and Nabiki, alone at last, opened the door gently, tippy toed inside. At first, they, Akane, in particular, were appalled by the girl's state of undress, blankets already cast aside, as she lay sprawled upon the bed. Then, upon closer inspection, they saw tears in her eyes, and how her right arm trembled, her right fist clenched. Akane was saddened to see upon her face an expression of the most intense pain.

"Is she dreaming?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't know," was all Akane could say, suddenly feeling tears of her own.

The girl felt the tears run down her face, their sting in her eyes. She looked down at herself and saw she was wearing a kimono, a kimono embroidered with many flowers, pink flowers, five-petaled flowers. Suddenly, she became aware of the tightness in her right hand, realized that hand clutched something, a piece of jewelry, a piece of jewelry in the form of flower, the very same flower that was embroidered on her kimono. She looked down again, far down, upon the surface of a vast lake. She jumped, feeling suddenly weightless, yet falling like a stone to the depths below. And finally, she drowned. Then she woke up.


	3. Chapter 3

Her scream made them both jump, its pitch nearly deafening to their ears. They saw how her arms flailed, her fingers clawing at the air in front of her. Then she awoke, and was immediately embarrassed by her nakedness, realizing she wore nothing but her trousers. Worst of all, was realizing there were people in the room, and they had seen her naked.

Seeing them standing there, the girl screamed again, pulling the blanket close to cover herself, screamed, "Get out!"

She wasn't the only one embarrassed. Akane and Nabiki were practically tripping over themselves and each other to get to the door first. Suddenly, there was no place in the world more important, no place they'd rather be than out in the hallway. However, they soon realized shutting the door behind them did little to ease their shame.

Akane, in particular, was mortified. More than anything, she feared what the girl might think of her after this humiliation, afraid she'd think her a pervert, a peeping tom. Never mind the fact she had entered the room with only the best intentions, and everything that happened after was just a horrible mistake. All she wanted to do was to tell the girl her name, like she should've done earlier.

Suddenly, she was terrified by another possibility, the possibility that maybe, as a result of this incident, the redhead wouldn't want to be her friend anymore, and, were that the case, her name was no longer important. Akane realized then and there that she needed to find something to do, to take her mind off this humiliation. She would have to apologize later, as she hadn't the heart to open that door again.

The girl had been greatly disturbed by the dream. Prior to this traumatic experience, she wasn't sure she could dream. She didn't even know what a dream was. What had terrified her most was how everything seemed so real, as real as the world around her. She actually felt the tickle of those tears as they rolled down her face. She felt the burning in her eyes as if those tears were her own, though she knew not why she cried.

The girl felt the weight of the trinket, real, full of substance, against the palm of her hand. Likewise, she felt the luxurious softness of silk, the silk of her kimono, where it touched her skin. She felt herself leap. She felt herself fall, felt the wind, cold against her tears, slap her face on the way down. She felt everything, as real as can be. And in the end, she was spared nothing, not even the agony of what it was like to feel her lungs filling with water, even as she struggled for breath. Not even the agony of death.

The experience left her not entirely sure it was a dream, and at the same time, not entirely sure it wasn't. But she knew one thing with absolute certainty, that she dreaded even the thought of taking a bath. She would not take one, not now, maybe not ever, for fear of drowning again.

Then, there came a sudden knock at the door. She was grateful for the knock in a way, though it startled her. It saved her from her thoughts, and succeeded in bringing her back to reality. Though she worried that the terror she just experienced might also be reality as well.

Once again, Akane stood outside the door. Prior to her standing here, she had gone to find "something" to do. That something consisted solely of powdering cinder blocks, as many as she could stand, until she just couldn't stand it any longer. She couldn't let things between them remain as they were, unresolved. She had to apologize, and she had to tell the girl her name.

So there she stood, working up the courage, the courage to ask permission to come in. And she hoped that, upon doing so, she wouldn't see her friend naked again.

"Can I come in." she asked. She listened for but heard no answer. Finally, when she could take the suspense no longer, and against her better judgment, Akane opened the door, slowly at first, but ever wider. Then, before she knew it, she found herself in an embrace. She was just about to ward off this seemingly shameless advance, when she realized who it was. The redhead held her gently, as she cried miserably into her shoulder. Again, Akane was embarrassed, her cheeks turning red, when she realized the girl was still without a shirt, and that her hands were actually touching the warm, soft skin of her back. They held each other tight for several moments, while the girl continued to cry, seemingly unable to stop. During this time, Akane considered breaking off from her, but didn't. Actually, she thought the situation rather poignant. The redhead was like a frightened, little girl who only wanted someone to hold onto, to make the pain go away. However, Akane was at a loss as to what the source of that pain could be.

Then, she felt a sudden comfort in the embrace, knowing her fear that the girl hated her was most certainly vanquished. Then, they broke away, and Akane saw she wasn't crying anymore.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

But the girl refused to say anything, not because she didn't want to. She just didn't think her friend would understand.

"Okay," Akane said, and she shrugged. "Anyway, I came here to apologize for what happened earlier."

The girl nodded.

Akane turned to leave. On the way out, she said, "I'm Akane, by the way." It wasn't until she stepped out in the hall that the redhead spoke to her.

"Akane?" she said, quietly.

"Yes?" said Akane, turning to her again.

"Thank you." The girl said, and she smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Akane headed downstairs to take a bath. Tossing her sweaty keikogi in the laundry hamper, she settled into the tub, turning the hot water on. Immediately, she heard that familiar commotion, the sound of water rushing into the tub, clear and invigorating. Akane let herself bask in the simple luxury, her eyes closed in meditation, and her long, black hair fanned out from her head like an odd halo.

As she lay there, trying to relax, Akane found that she couldn't help thinking about her new friend. Suddenly, she found it odd that her affection for this girl was strong enough to consider her a friend, and yet she didn't know anything about her. All she knew was the manner in which she arrived.

Quietly, Kasumi shut the door to the girl's room, having handed her the shirt, now fresh and clean from the wash. As she headed back downstairs, she marveled at what an oddity their guest was. In the short time she spent with her, Kasumi had already noticed a certain duality to her personality. She seemed like such a nice girl, so polite, yet at first glance, Kasumi would've guessed she was a tomboy, much like Akane.

"But she is a tomboy," she thought. She knew that now, after washing the girl's shirt, a shirt smelly with perspiration, and stained by blood, of all things. Then, thinking about the blood, she could only assume it came from the blow to back of the girl's head. And though she knew, with some certainty, where the blood came from, Kasumi found the girl and everything about her a mystery, everything except how they met.

The funny thing was Kasumi wasn't expecting to meet her, looking forward instead to seeing Saotome Ranma, hoping he wasn't too old for her. But, as fate would have it, there was no fiancé. Instead, a pigtailed girl literally fell into her father's arms, a redhead whose mind turned out to be a total blank.

She was struck by a sudden, creepy thought. There really was no way of knowing the kind of person she might've been, prior to losing her memory. They knew only the person she seemed to be.

"And she seems like a nice girl." Kasumi thought finally, putting her sense of morbidity to rest.

Meanwhile, Nabiki lay on her bed with the door shut, listening to pop music, though the songs blaring incessantly from her expensive stereo were far more cheerful than she was, at the moment. Both Akane and Kasumi wondered who the girl was. She, on the other hand, didn't care. After all, why should it matter to her who the girl was? All that mattered was who she wasn't. She wasn't Ranma.

Nabiki remembered feeling annoyed, yet anxious to meet the man who might be her fiancé, annoyed because of her Daddy's inability to give her a straight answer. Annoyed because, hearing him talk about the two of them, she made the assumption he had actually met his friend's only son. He hadn't, much to her chagrin.

She asked, "What sort of man is he?" Of course, Nabiki knew that all she was really looking for was money. She wanted to know whether he was well off, or if his father was. Either way, she would be wealthy if she married him. However, soon as Nabiki met the pigtailed girl, her hopes of meeting a rich fiancé were put on hold. At first, she clung vainly to the hope that the girl was really a guy, just a really cute one, but soon Nabiki began to suspect that she was in fact a girl.

Needless to say, Nabiki no longer doubted the girl's authenticity.

With a fresh shirt, the girl finally went downstairs. But without one, she knew she'd still be up there. She wasn't about to parade around the house naked. To do so would be uncivilized.

That evening, she joined Akane at the dinner table. Suddenly, they heard Kasumi's soft voice emanating from the kitchen. She asked Akane, "Would you mind taking her to school with you, tomorrow?"

"Sure." Akane replied cheerily.

"School?" the girl asked.

"It's okay. Everybody goes to school."

"Oh," she said, not sure if she would like school or not.

That night, the redhead was grateful to have a bed to sleep in, though she tried desperately not to actually sleep in it. After the last nightmare, she feared sleep, as vehemently as she feared water. And she was willing to fight it to the bitter end. However, even with such resolve, she could not hope to hold out forever. In the end, her body betrayed her. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier, harder to keep open. Soon, she was forced to give in to her ever increasing desire to simply let go.

Suddenly, the girl felt herself caught up in a whirlwind of strange emotions. Incredible excitement mixed with fear and impatience. The girl somehow recognized the tree she was standing beside. It was a sakura, or cherry tree. She caught herself staring at the tree, marveling at its branches, heavy with thousands of pretty pink flowers, experiencing a sense of tranquility at the same time. Just then, she saw a figure approaching, practically running, as if to meet her. She watched as the hood and cloak of the figure were swept back as it ran, revealing the face of a boy. He reached her then, placed his hands in hers, and she felt how rough and calloused they were. Also, she became aware of a sensation, cold and metallic against her palm. Instinctively, she opened her right hand to see what he had given her, a piece of jewelry, brightly painted, in the form of a sakura.

"It's your favorite flower, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Thank you."

"Here," the boy said, as he helped her put it on, by threading it gently through her hair.

Then, looking at her again, he did something that took the girl by surprise. He kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

The redhead awoke to see Kasumi smiling down at her. Oddly enough, she was both relieved and disappointed to see her, relieved because the dream had frightened her, disappointed because, though it frightened her, it also captivated her, the boy especially. She wondered at him, being so familiar, holding her hands, and even kissing her. It was like he knew her. She wondered at herself too, at her own feelings of anticipation and fear.

She sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and stretched. Just then, she noticed Kasumi staring at her.

"You slept in those clothes?" she asked.

The girl hung her head, suddenly feeling she had done something wrong.

"It's alright." Kasumi said. "I'll just get you some fresh clothes." She went to the closet, took out a pair of slacks and a pink t-shirt. The redhead stared at the shirt, wondered at it. The cute face of a girl, a girl with long, bluish black hair, wearing a pair of bunny ears, stared back.

"Now," Kasumi began, setting the clothes down neatly on the bed, "I want you to go downstairs and take a bath. Here, I'll show you where it is."

The girl, still half asleep, plodded after Kasumi in silence. She knew she didn't want to take a bath, not now, not ever, but at the same time felt she couldn't refuse. After all, the Tendos had welcomed her into their home with open arms, and though she had forgotten many things, she still understood kindness when she saw it. She wasn't about to do anything that might insult them, even if that meant taking a bath.

"Here," Kasumi said, stopping in front of a door. She opened the door, watched the girl step inside, noting the gravity of her demeanor.

"Laundry goes in the basket, here." She explained. "I'll put your clean clothes, here."

And, with that, Kasumi left her. Soon as she stepped outside, the girl disrobed, tossing her shirt and pants in the hamper, just as Kasumi had said to do. Then, she stepped further into the room, the tile on the floor cold against her bare feet, slid back the screen door, and came face to face with the tub. She cast a heavy gaze upon it, before stepping in, before lowering herself slowly, reluctantly, into it. For a long while, that was all she could do. In the meantime, she sat naked; her knees drawn up to her chin, trying to find the courage, no, the strength to actually take a bath. Then, with a trembling hand, she turned the facet on. The water that touched her first was cold, freezing cold. She shuddered, both from the cold, and because it reminded her of that awful lake in her dream. But then, the water became warmer and warmer. And as it did so, the girl began to feel her skin tingling all over. She wondered at the sensation, but soon she needn't wonder anymore.

The girl screamed, her voice surely echoing throughout the house. She screamed at the sudden realization that she was no longer a girl, but had instead changed into a boy. Even the sound of her scream frightened her because, as she realized, her voice was no longer her own. Instead, her voice became a man's voice, just as her body became a man's body. But, though she now looked like a boy, she was still a girl at heart, and a modest one at that.

Suddenly, who should come barging in, presumably as a result of the commotion, but Akane herself? For a split second, the girl saw her standing there in the open doorway, already dressed in her school uniform. Then, Akane screamed, slamming the screen shut behind her. The girl could hear her feet as they echoed quickly down the hallway.

The girl, mortified, and fearing for her friendship with Akane, gave chase. She struggled into her clothes as quickly as she could, first one leg, then the other. She thrust her arms, now bulky and unfeminine, through the sleeves of her shirt, but left the shirt open, for fear of losing precious time. She chased Akane down the hall, and straight out the front door. She almost crashed into Nabiki in the process.

Nabiki, left in the wake of their passing, nonetheless saw the face of the stranger who ran by her. "Ranma?" she wondered aloud, with a sudden hope that her fiancé might've finally come, but at the same time confused as to why he was chasing Akane.

The girl chased Akane as best she could, but her friend was fast, and with quite a lead. Then, when she could no longer stand to see her best friend, her only friend, running away from her, she screamed, but once again the voice she heard was not her own.

"Akane, wait!"

Akane turned to her then, a look of wonder and exasperation on her face, before running away again.

"She doesn't recognize me." The girl thought, sadly. "Not looking like this."

The girl or, more appropriately, the boy watched as Akane continued to run away, until he could no longer see her in the distance. Then, standing there all alone, he began to cry. But, even in the midst of his tears, something dawned on him, something he had known ever since she offered to be his friend, the fact that her friendship was the only thing real to him. And he wasn't about to let that friendship go, not like this.

With the thought of her bolstering his resolve, he set off again. However, the boy hadn't been running long when, suddenly, he was drenched by something cold and wet. For a split second, he was terrified, afraid of drowning, afraid of dying. Then, he realized it was just an old woman and her bucket, an old woman who made the mistake of dousing him as he ran past. But, once again, he felt the tingling in his skin. Once again, he realized, with as much shock and surprise as before, that he was no longer a boy. That once again he was back to normal.

The redhead had never been happier than she was at that moment, looking down, and seeing that she was in fact the girl she was supposed to be. However, this sense of happiness was followed quickly by embarrassment, by the realization that her shirt was still undone. But, other than that, she was happy, happy because she knew Akane wouldn't run from her anymore, happy because Akane would recognize her.

All she had to do was catch up.


	6. Chapter 6

Nabiki ran to the sound of two screams coming from the bathroom. She recognized her sister's scream, but not the other. She turned the corner in time to see her sister slam the door on whoever was in there. Then, without so much as an explanation, Akane ran past her, and out the door. Nabiki, however, had little time to consider the strangeness of this, before it got stranger. Just then, a boy stormed out of the bathroom, and followed her. She got a good look at him as he nearly ran into her. In fact, he would have if she hadn't stepped aside at the last second. He was a good looking boy, handsome, with bright blue eyes, his body lean and muscular. She thought he looked so wild, his long, bluish black hair flowing behind him as he ran, his shirt, open and swept back, giving her a good long look at the muscles in his chest.

"Pity," Nabiki thought, wishing she hadn't stepped aside so quickly, wishing she'd let him run into her, if only to have the excuse to hold him for awhile, and maybe feel some of those muscles. Instead, all she felt was a pang of jealousy towards Akane, knowing she was being chased by him. Suddenly, Nabiki was struck by a peculiar notion, that she'd seen him somewhere before. That somehow, she recognized him.

"Those eyes," she thought. "I've seen those eyes before." But his eyes weren't all she'd seen before. She stared at his clothes, when she wasn't staring at his chest, that red shirt, those drab pants, slightly torn. She knew of only one person who wore clothes like that.

"Who was that?" Kasumi asked. She stood in the middle of the stairway, holding a set of clothes.

"I don't know." Nabiki lied, not sure she was lying. It was just a feeling. Suddenly, she felt compelled to walk to the bathroom. She stepped inside, stepped in the water splashed on the floor. It felt warm against her foot.

"I don't know," she thought, suddenly thinking she did know, suddenly thinking the impossible.

Meanwhile, Akane was still running. She glanced back over her shoulder, glad to see the pervert no longer there. She felt a sudden anger at him, for scaring her, and chasing her away from her own house. She had half a mind to go back there, and flog him within an inch of his life. And she would've done exactly that if she weren't already running late for school.

"School?" Akane thought, suddenly realizing she had forgotten not only her schoolbag and everything in it, but also her friend. She cursed her forgetfulness, and she cursed him for making her forget. She cursed him for being in her house in the first place, and for ruining a perfectly good morning.

She wondered at him, then. She wondered what right he had in her home. She wondered at his audacity, that he should feel inclined to take a bath when surely he was no guest. And she wondered how he had known her name, when she did not give it to him.

Now, in sight of the school, and its distinctive clock face, Akane realized almost too late what was in store for her, as dozens upon dozens of boys suddenly charged outside to meet her. Then, she remembered, much to her chagrin. She remembered that this same mob did this every morning before school, each of them eager to date with her, a date which could only be won by defeating her.

Akane actually pitied them, feeling as she felt this morning. They would be sorry they ever crossed her. Without a word, she waded into the sea of them, her anger fueling her determination, driving her to victory. On every one of them, she saw the pervert's face, and that face was what she aimed for. Soon, they were falling by the wayside as she dispatched each of them in turn. By the time it was all over, the contest had acquired a graceful, however brutal, quality, like ballet.

Then, when the last of them fell as easily as the first, Akane heard the sudden whistle of something coming towards her through the air. She waited for just the right moment, for the whistle to grow loud enough. She caught it just as it passed over her head, mindful as always, of its thorns. She stared at the bright red rose with disdain. The rose, his signature, his taunt, letting her know the fight wasn't over. Unable to stop him from challenging her day after day, Akane simply shrugged. Then she heard his voice, smooth and eloquent, upon the air.

"Fleeting are the sakuras that bloom in spring. Fleeting, also, are the buildings that grow around them. And though we watch them succumb gradually to the ravages of time, are we not spared the very same fate? That in the end, nothing is truly eternal."

A boy stepped out from behind a nearby tree. A simple enough gesture, Akane thought, but he did so with all the exaggerated pomp and circumstance of an actor stepping onto a stage. He was tall, with rugged good looks, and piercing blue eyes. She might've even thought him attractive if he wasn't such a nuisance.

"Well done." He said, applauding her. "That was better than last time."

The thought of Kuno using her as a form of entertainment would've annoyed Akane if she wasn't so used to it already. In fact, she might've thought they'd developed a certain respect for each other, not friendship, but respect. The respect shared between warriors.

"And so, here we are again at the appointed spot." Kuno said dramatically. Then, he raised his practice sword to her, and issued his challenge proper. It was the same challenge she heard every day.

"Tendo Akane," he said, addressing her formally. "I would date with you."

"Only if you win," she replied defiantly.

"That I intend to do today. Now, are you ready?"

Akane knew this last question was a formality. She knew he would attack her whether she was ready or not. He was merely asking her consent.

She nodded.

The match began. And like the many before it, the stakes were the same. Akane had no doubt that, upon the event of his victory, Kuno would date her as he said. She, on the other hand, had every intention of thwarting him for the umpteenth time. They circled, watching each other for weaknesses, ready to strike at the first unguarded moment. But, at the same time wary of each other's strengths. For example, Akane respected the considerable reach Kuno's sword gave him, and the fact that it was a weapon capable of felling her with one well aimed swipe. Were she to let that happen, the match could easily be his. But she had every intention not to lose to him.

"Watch him." She thought to herself. "Let him make the first move. Let him make the first mistake." Soon as he made a swipe at her, she would dodge aside. Then, he would be vulnerable; his energy engaged more in his attack, then in his defense. Then, she would hit him before he had a chance to counter.

"Akane!" the girl shouted, running towards her.

She couldn't have picked a more inopportune time to show up. And yet, it was Akane who made the mistake. Her focus should've been better, but instead she was distracted by her friend. Taking her eyes off Kuno for a split second, she watched as the redhead caught up to them. However, that second cost her dearly.

Kuno, sensing his opening, lashed out with his sword. He gave Akane a firm blow to her abdomen. The force of it knocked the wind from her. She was on her knees before she knew it.

"I'm disappointed in you, Akane." He said, shaking his head. "I didn't think it would be this easy."

Smiling proudly, Kuno held out his hand to her. Akane knew, as did he, that were she to take that hand, such an action would be seen as her admission of defeat, and the final proof of his victory. She just couldn't bring herself to do that, however.

The redhead didn't know who the man was, and she didn't care. All she knew, all she needed to know, was that he had hurt Akane. Suddenly, she felt something she'd never felt before. She couldn't really describe it, but suddenly she was driven by an irresistible urge to hurt him back.

Kuno saw the girl coming from a ways out, and immediately he knew her intent. He waited, his every thought focused on her. He waited until the time was right, until she was close enough. Then, he made one quick thrust with his sword, with every expectation of hitting something soft, her bosom perhaps. But instead, he simply cut the air. Then, to his astonishment, he saw that she was actually standing on his outstretched blade, practically standing in air.

Their eyes met, and Kuno had just enough time to wonder what kind of girl she was before she kicked him upside the head, knocking him out cold.

After what she had just seen, Akane was starting to wonder the very same thing, but unlike Kuno, she was able to put it into words.

"Who are you?" she asked, staring at her friend in amazement.

The girl shrugged. Then she simply smiled and said, "Your friend."

Then she offered her hand to Akane, and this hand she did take.


	7. Chapter 7

Then, as Akane took the girl's hand, the bell rang. Suddenly, she was up and running for the door, taking her friend with her. And yet, even as she ran, Akane knew it was too late. The bell had already rung, which meant they were tardy. Once inside, Akane did not run. Instead, she walked briskly down the hall, and up the stairs, careful not to bump into anyone. She took the stairs two, sometimes three, at a time. However, once Akane reached the top, she did run, all the way to her classroom, almost oblivious of the girl trailing behind her.

Neither Akane nor the girl were prepared for the kind of reception they were about to receive. Soon as she opened the door, they were greeted by a tremendous applause, and much cheering. Akane soon realized it wasn't her they were so excited about, but rather her companion because as soon as they saw her, their commotion grew even louder.

"There she is!" a girl shouted, and Akane glanced aside to see the look on her friend's face. She seemed equally dumbfounded, and more than a little shy. Suddenly, a hand reached out of the crowd, and pulled the two of them apart.

Suddenly, the girl found herself surrounded by faces, girls' faces, and boys' faces. Everyone wanted to be close to her, it seemed, with all of them talking at once. But she only wanted to be with Akane. She stared across the sea of students at her friend, a look of helplessness on her face. It came as a great relief to her then that the teacher finally stepped into the room, and the crowd dispersed.

"Alright, everyone take your seats." He said dryly. Everyone except the girl, he told her to follow him to the front of the class.

Then, turning to the class, with her by his side, he announced, "Class, this is…" Then, suddenly embarrassed, he turned to her and asked, "What's your name?"

She simply looked up at him, and shook her head, embarrassed herself because she didn't have an answer. She didn't even know her own name.

"Rei," Akane said suddenly. "Her name's Rei." She saw the girl give her a funny look.

"Any last name?" the teacher asked, again dryly.

"No. It's just Rei." She replied.

"Well then, let's all give "Rei" a warm welcome."

Again, the room resonated with cheering and applause from everyone, and Akane watched as the girl not only shrugged, but blushed in the face of all this fanfare.

"However," the teacher began, and the commotion died as easily as if by the flip of a switch. "However, that still doesn't excuse the fact that you were late this morning."

"Both of you," He added, looking squarely at Akane. "And you know what that means." He pointed to the door.

So, there they stood, Rei and Akane, out in the hallway, each burdened by a bucket full of water. Again, Akane looked aside at her friend. Saw her staring so intently at the water in her bucket, her expression neutral. Wondered what she was thinking.

What Rei was thinking she couldn't possibly tell Akane, couldn't tell her because she wouldn't understand. How could she, when Rei didn't understand it herself. She didn't understand how hot water could have turned her into a boy, when she thought she was a girl. Neither could she comprehend beating that man outside when, to her knowledge, she had never learned to fight like that before. In that instance, it seemed as if her body was reacting on its own, as if to some prior conditioning. The question was whose. Suddenly, Rei contemplated the possibility that she might've been a martial artist, that she had since forgotten all her training. And yet, some part of her still seemed to remember. Then for the first time, she realized something about her body, not the fact that she was female, but that she was so well built. She looked down at her arms. They looked so lean and strong. Even as a boy, her arms were strong, well muscled. Her legs, last she saw them, were long and sturdy. However, looks were nothing to how she felt, and she felt incredible.

Given the condition of her body as evidence, Rei was almost convinced she was a martial artist, but the fact remained. Prior to meeting the Tendos, she knew nothing of her past. She wasn't even sure where she came from. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing in the hope that they might provide some clues. All she got was the distinct impression these clothes were not her own.

"Akane?" she asked weakly. "What kind of clothes are these?" She was referring to herself.

"They look Chinese." Akane replied. "Why?"

"They're not mine."

"What are you talking about? Of course they are. You just don't remember buying them is all."

Suddenly, the mere mention of China reminded her of someone, Ranma. Hadn't her father said yesterday that he had been to China? Ranma, the fiancé she'd yet to meet, and hoped she'd never have to.


	8. Chapter 8

Tatewaki sighed. He had come to school that morning with the intention of defeating Akane in battle, so that he might earn the privilege of dating her. However, on the verge of his triumph, he found himself distracted. He remembered her suddenly, her long hair ablaze in the sunlight, her face set in a determined scowl, her petite figure, her perfect balance, and most of all, the painful shock of her kick. Again, he sighed, staring at his face in the mirror, staring at the slipper shaped bruise on his cheek. So intent was he upon his own reflection, and so adrift in his own thoughts, that he failed to notice the girl sneaking up on him.

Suddenly, she grabbed him, pulling him to her in a tight squeeze, startling him back to reality in the process. She laughed hysterically when he turned to her, red faced, when she saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Nabiki!" he shouted. "Don't you ever sneak up on me again!"

"Aw, Kuno, I was just having a little fun with you. Besides, I think you liked it anyway."

She chuckled. Then, on a more serious note, she said, "I know what's wrong."

"What?" he asked, still blushing.

"You're thinking of that girl, aren't you? The redhead?"

"No." he answered.

She shook her head. "I know you, Kuno baby. She's new, she's cute, and most importantly, she's a girl. Of course, you're thinking about her."

"What's it to you?" he said, suddenly annoyed.

"Well," she replied, grinning smugly. "I know her."

Kuno gaped at Nabiki in amazement. "You do?"

"She's my sister. Well, she's kinda my sister. She lives with me, anyway. Why Kuno, you want to meet her?"

"I didn't say that." He said.

She looked at him squarely and smiled. "You didn't have to."

Rei sat in class, listening to the teacher drone on and on. She tried to pay attention as she knew his lesson was something important at least, if not the very reason she was here. She tried to pay attention, but at the same time she found him to be so utterly boring that she felt herself being lulled to sleep. She was already sleepy, having stayed up most of the night before, chasing Akane to school that morning, and fending off that bully. The monotony of his voice only succeeded in pushing her over the edge.

Suddenly, Rei felt a sense of contentment, only to realize she was sitting next to the mysterious boy from the dream before, the same boy who had held her hands, kissed her, and given her the jewelry which she now wore in her hair. She glanced aside at the boy, studying him. The hood of his cloak had fallen back, revealing a strong, handsome face. The expression on that face was serene and, to her disappointment, difficult to read, though she thought he was as happy to be here with her as she was with him. He turned to look at her suddenly, as if knowing she was looking at him.

"Do you love him?" he asked suddenly.

"Who?" She heard herself say.

"You know who." He replied, a touch of annoyance in his voice.

Then, Rei remembered she was engaged to another boy, engaged to be married. His name was Saotome, or at least that was his family's name.

"No, I don't." she said finally. "That was just an arrangement between our fathers without our consent."

"I don't love him," she repeated, more to herself than to him. "I love you."

Those three words surprised Rei as much as they did him, but upon saying them, somehow she knew they were true. She had felt this way ever since he kissed her, no, prior to that. Suddenly, she realized she had been waiting for him because only in his company did she feel truly happy.

Hearing Sakura say those three words to him, the boy was himself content, knowing he already felt the same. He smiled at her warmly, taking care to hide any sign of the fear he felt, fear for their uncertain future.

He smiled, but as he did so, his face became blurry, and she felt herself suddenly pulled away, startled by the sound of a man shouting.

"Rei!" the teacher exclaimed, "pay attention!"

She stared up at him blankly, her eyes slowly coming into focus. Even then, she was vaguely aware she wasn't where she should be. Even more aware of the fact her name wasn't Rei.


	9. Chapter 9

That afternoon, Akane and her friend walked home in silence. And again, she noticed how distant the girl had become. Again, she wondered what she was thinking. Then, to her surprise, the girl spoke.

"Rei?" she asked.

Hearing her voice, Akane turned to her and smiled. "I'm sorry," she said, "but I needed something to call you. You don't mind being called Rei, do you?"

"No."

"You know, if written a certain way, the kanji for Rei can mean "spirit." Though in your case, it's more like "fighting spirit." She laughed. "I've been meaning to ask you," she said finally, "where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I don't know." Rei replied.

"I don't know." Akane thought. She'd heard the girl say that more than a few times already, and she suddenly felt sorry for her. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend was going through, not knowing who she was or where she came from. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered what Rei had told her earlier in the hall, about her clothes not being her own. Somehow, she believed her. At first, Akane thought the girl reminded her of herself, a tomboy. After getting to know her, however, she had the distinct feeling she wasn't a tomboy at all.

Again, Akane was astounded by the mystery of her, and the fact that nothing was quite what it seemed. She wondered if she would ever truly know this girl, or if she would remain a mystery forever. It bothered her, not knowing, but in the end, she settled with the assurance that only time will tell.

"Hey," Akane said, remembering suddenly, "Where were you this morning? Kasumi told me you were taking a bath, but when I checked the bathroom, all I saw was this… this… boy! A boy, naked in our bathtub, staring at me! You didn't see him, did you?"

The girl turned to Akane, felt her face turn red. As red, she feared, as her hair, knowing she had been the boy whom Akane was now referring to, though Akane herself didn't seem to realize that. "No." she said finally, hoping Akane hadn't seen her blush, fearing that it might give her away.

To her surprise, and relief, Akane failed to notice. Instead, she shrugged. "It was probably that damn Ranma."

"Who?" the girl asked, as for some reason, that name seemed so familiar.

"Ranma," Akane repeated, "Saotome Ranma, the fiancé who, according to my father, should've shown up by now. In an arrangement decided by his father and mine, this Ranma was supposed to be wed to either Kasumi, Nabiki, or, heaven forbid, me."

Akane frowned heavily then smiled, "But I'm so glad you showed up instead of him."

"What is it you have against this Ranma?" the girl asked. "You sound as those you hate him."

"I don't hate him," Akane exclaimed, "even though he is a boy. I just don't think it's any of my father's business to decide who I marry, that's all."

"Especially when I already have someone in mind," Akane thought. Her thoughts of Ranma turned to thoughts of Tofu, and suddenly she was the one blushing. Tofu was the only boy or man rather, she would ever think of marrying. There were those who might consider the strong affection she had for him a mere crush, but she didn't care. He was perfect. In fact, Tofu was everything she could hope for in a husband. He was handsome, strong, but most importantly, gentle and kind. The mere thought of him made her giddy, and Rei was surprised to see her friend in a new, less serious light.

She would have liked to know what Akane was thinking about, as she had never seen her act so strangely, and wanted to know the cause. One second, they were talking, and then suddenly… poof! Akane froze, with a twinkle in her eyes and a dumb smile on her face.

"Are you okay? Akane?" Rei asked, waving her hand in front of the girl's face without response. Finally, Akane came back, realized with some embarrassment that she had zoned out. But then, that always happened when she thought about Tofu.

Little did either of them know that when they got back to the Tendo dojo, all hell was about to break loose. They did not yet realize that in the time since they left for school that morning, a man had arrived at the dojo, one Saotome Genma, and even now he awaited his son Ranma armed with a kettle of hot water.


	10. Chapter 10

Akane and Ranma (not yet knowing she was Ranma) were surprised to see a strange man standing outside the dojo, near the sign. He seemed an imposing character, very muscular, clad in a keikogi. His eyes, hidden behind their wireframe spectacles, spied them as soon as they came into view. He had apparently been waiting for them, but for what reason they knew not.

"Ranma!" the man yelled, and both girls looked behind them at the same moment, not yet realizing he was addressing them, or more specifically, addressing her.

He approached them, and Ranma cowered behind Akane, not because she was afraid of him, but because she saw the large kettle in his hand, steam rising effortlessly from its cruel spout. She already knew what just a single drop of it would do to her, and she wasn't about to transform, not here, not now, in front of Akane. Akane, whose friendship she valued more than anything else.

Genma raised an eyebrow at what he perceived as his own son's cowardice. "Ranma, you shame me," he cried, "hiding behind a girl like that. Are you not a man among men?"

"Man among men?!" she exclaimed incredulously. "Mister, I'm not a man, period!"

"I've got proof that says you are." Genma said, raising the kettle menacingly.

"Where?" asked Akane suddenly, seemingly forgotten in this exchange.

"In here." He replied.

Akane stared at him, astonished. Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "But that's just a kettle of hot water. What do you plan to do? Splash her with it so that she magically turns into boy? Please. That sort of stuff only happens in anime."

"What are you doing?" was all she had time to ask before Genma suddenly lunged at her with the kettle. He was trying to hit Ranma, but soaked her instead. And, just as she thought, the water inside the kettle was hot, very hot, boiling hot.

"Ouch!!!" she screamed.

Somehow, Ranma had managed to get out from behind her, around Genma, and was already headed for the door, all in a fraction of a second. Genma, of course, followed her, taking his pot of water with him, and Akane was left standing outside, hot and miserable, soaked to the skin.

"Get back here! Baka!" she screamed. Her anger, sudden and swift, drove her forward, made her chase them. With speed matching their own, Akane pursued the pair of idiots through the front door, down the rice paper corridor, and out into the courtyard. So powerful was the force of her anger, unbridled and unchecked, that she didn't stop to consider what the consequences for her actions might be. She simply acted.

Standing at the edge of the koi pond, Ranma and Genma both turned to see her coming at them, looks of shared panic on their faces. Never had they seen, nor did they expect such anger. As he stood there, staring like a doe in the headlights, Akane kicked Genma squarely in the back, sending him reeling over the edge with an incredible splash. Ranma, standing slightly behind her father at the time, couldn't escape him as he practically fell on top of her. The last thing Akane registered upon Ranma's frightened face before her head went under was a look, a look of hurt and betrayal.

For Akane, seeing a man magically transform into a panda wasn't nearly as astonishing as it should've been. Now, whatever anger she felt was gone, replaced by fear and dread, fear of what she had done, dread of what she might have done.

Akane watched in stunned silence as the panda solemnly retrieved the soaked body of the girl, looking suddenly smaller than it had ever been, cradled in Genma's massive arms, as limp and lifeless as someone dead. Seeing her friend like that, fearing the worst, Akane felt the pain of tears in her eyes. No, she didn't feel angry anymore. She felt sorry.

There was blood on Ranma's shirt again, and on her hands.


	11. Chapter 11

The last thing Rei remembered as she fell backward, before her head struck hard against a stone, was the look on Akane's face, a look that said quite simply, "I'm sorry." But, even as the girl lost consciousness, the boy felt himself jarred to life once again.

At long last, Ranma awoke, greeted by what must've been the single worst headache he'd ever experienced in his life. The headache soon proved to be the least of his concerns, however. The young Saotome, realizing he was in a strange room, swept the covers away, and sprang to his feet.

He ignored the sudden shooting pain in his head, but not the development that brought itself immediately to his attention. Ranma stared down at the nightgown he wore in utter disbelief, a soft, frilly monstrosity terrifying to behold. But the gown itself wasn't the subject of his undivided attention, or his disbelief. The two distinctive swellings upon his chest, however, were.

"What the…!" Ranma exclaimed, surprised by the sudden femininity of his own voice, femininity so uncharacteristic to the voice he remembered as his. "Oh no." he thought dreadfully, already knowing where this was going. Even then, he knew the breasts were real, but he had to check to be sure. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, bracing himself for the inevitable horror. And then, when he could take the suspense no longer, he looked.

Ranma screamed. Even knowing the outcome, she screamed. No longer could she doubt that she was, in fact, a girl. No longer could she hope that this was all a bad dream, a dream she could wake up from.

Then, adding insult to injury, she thought, "Aw hell, I even scream like a girl."

She should've known someone would come to her screaming, for at that moment, the door swung open. Suddenly, Ranma was face to face with a girl, a girl slightly taller than she was, a girl with long black hair.

"Rei!" the girl cried, rushing forward to hug Ranma around the middle. Ranma's face turned red. She was mortified, hugged by a complete stranger, a girl no less. Worse yet, Ranma realized she was crying. She could feel the warmth of the girl's tears on her nightgown.

"I'm sorry!" the girl kept saying over and over, as she continued to sob into Ranma's shoulder.

"It's okay! It's alright." Ranma whispered. She'd say anything to get the girl to stop crying.

For a long time, they embraced each other. Ranma endured every moment of it, in spite of her ever increasing desire to simply shove the girl away. "It is most definitely not alright," she thought secretly. "Why the hell is this girl calling me Rei? And why the hell am I a girl?"

And suddenly, Ranma realized she was crying too. Crying because she didn't understand why this was happening to her. Didn't remember the fateful fall she'd took in Jusenkyo, into Nyannichuan: the "Spring of Drowned Girl."


End file.
